Member Profile: Dacia Kimber + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Dacia Kimber
Dacia Kimber is a self-made woman. A Kansas City native, career entrepreneur, mother, and Nelle member, Dacia tackles projects with fervor and optimism. As the founder of Key Concepts Management, she is immersed in the creative world of KC - from music to cannabis to fitness and more. In chatting with Dacia, you quickly feel her calm rhythm. She is quick with a laugh and has a relaxed, welcoming drawl in her voice. You can often find her working on multiple projects at once, a layer of multi-tasking she wears easily. And through every venture, collaboration and community are her touchstones.
Dacia is a positive force for collaboration and opportunity in Kansas City, and we are proud to have her as a Nellie. Get to know Dacia below…
Why did you join The Nelle?
My first reaction is, ‘Why not join The Nelle?’ All the things I love - culture, community, networking - The Nelle has it. It’s new, it’s fresh.
I like to network and surround myself with positive and influential people. For there to be something that has all of that and where I can just walk into it, that is beautiful. It’s going to be a space of opportunity for many.
And I joined because I love Lauren, obviously!
Can you share a bit about your background?
I have a consultancy, Key Concepts Management. We do marketing, project management, business development, social media, and other business services. We typically work in the creative, fitness, and cannabis spaces.
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, so I end up with a lot of my own projects. I opened The CBD Store in 2015 with Brendon Hodgson, who is also an entrepreneur and has been in the cannabis space. We had three locations - Kansas City, St. Louis, and Oklahoma City - which have since closed. Where we really stood out was having a professional, educational platform for people to get informed in a misinformed space.
We closed the retail stores in March at the start of the pandemic. But we still have our product line Evolution Hemp Life. It’s a mass retail brand, with wholesales and e-commerce.
How did you develop your career?
A lot of it is just me stepping into my own space. I’ve always had this mindset: I think big brands and big strategy.
I was never really a good student as a kid. I originally went to a French magnet elementary school. I started in full immersion, so kindergarten through the beginning of second grade, all the work was in French. I couldn’t read or write in English. My grandma had a problem with that, so my mom switched me to partial immersion. At that point, I never caught up. I couldn’t ever accomplish the curriculum because I was always so far behind. I feel like I stopped paying attention because of that. I managed to get all the way through high school, always barely hanging on.
And then I went to University of Central Missouri for college. All of a sudden it clicked. I started paying attention and that first year, I learned everything. I graduated in 3.5 years with two degrees and a 3.75 GPA.
Where did you head after graduating?
I came back home and ended up working in sales for a credit card processing company. Within a year and a half, I was running the company. That gave me a lot of business management experience.
Around that time, I also got in a really bad car wreck. I couldn’t do a lot of what I was doing. That’s when I invested in my first laptop. I remember, I just sat on my laptop and started navigating. Social media was a thing and I saw all of this culture and opportunity in Kansas City nightlife. I researched contracts and how to throw a show, and I built up work as a promoter really quickly.
I was doing shows in most of the venues in Kansas City, a lot of hip-hop stuff. And then I was working with artists, applying business knowledge that creatives don’t typically have. I’m still doing that today. I’m always happy and eager to apply any business knowledge. I end up with clients who become family. I’m humbled to be immersed in a space where everyone is creating their own world.
What’s your most recent project?
I’m in Tulsa, Oklahoma right now working on a cannabis social club. With projects like this, I come in, build the brand, website, social media. We get logistics figured out and strategize the next 3-6 months, and then I typically leave the project.
It’s called Barn 66 Social Club and is attached to Barn 66 Dispensary. It’s a 2,500 square foot open venue space where you can come and consume. We’re elevating the nightlife of Tulsa with this project.
What would you say drives you creatively?
I am really passionate about community and culture. I’m hyper-obsessed with carving out opportunities for those things in the business space.
I don’t know what I would do without having a million things going on at once. That’s where I’m comfortable: being overwhelmed, I guess.
I have a 12-year-old son as well. He’s extremely creative. It’s been very important to me to ensure he has opportunities. That was and always has been a lot of my drive.
What would you say your proudest accomplishment is?
Hm, that’s hard. I would say my agency (Key Concepts Management). With Key Concepts, I decided that I was going to work this business. I incorporated and said, ‘Let’s go.’ I established it in 2015 and that’s still my company. I have a team of five and I hope to continue to grow it.
Why is Kansas City your home base?
Because it continues to serve me well. I love the community, I love the growth. It’s such a space for opportunity. To look back at what I’ve opened and done and how I’ve networked and connected -- can you do that in every city?
There’s such a history in Kansas City of creatives and entrepreneurs and athletes, I think that’s beautiful. There’s so much talent that’s come out of here. It makes you feel a little more confident.
And it’s in the middle of everything. It’s easy to maneuver. I travel quite a bit and there’s nowhere else I’d choose for a homebase.
Can you tell me about a woman who inspires you?
I would pick my sister Mia. She is amazing. She’s always been such a hard worker and has carved out her own way. And she does it flawlessly.
I definitely want to say too, I am so insanely inspired by the women in Kansas City across the board. There’s so many strong women. Take the fitness space -- I could have a bad day and not want to do something, but someone is always sharing and trying to lift up, it’s really hard to not stay motivated.
